Day Ten

Jessalyn slowly unfurled her stiff limbs. She had lain beside Skye all night, curled up in a foetal position. She cried herself to sleep, and woke with salt dried on her face from the tears. The body had been taken in the night, leaving nothing but blood soaked earth, and a clear blue crystal attached to a ragged string.

She snatched it up, kissed the crystal, and slipped it safely in the breast pocket of her coat. Then she picked up her weapons, turned her back on the pool, and started to walk. She walked the long route, around the perimeter of the Arena, back to the Eastern Road. It was about twice as long, but she knew that it was safer than going through the "dry area".

Back on the Eastern Road, she went two streets to the right, to stay out of sight of the Careers. She didn't know when they would turn on each other, but she knew that it would be soon, and she was sure that with it would come the death of one of them.

She was so het up thinking about the Career Gang and poor, poor Skye that she didn't notice the string lying across the street. As she stepped over it something pulled it tight, and she was sent sprawling in the dust.

The thin, sharp edge of a rapier touched the small of her back. 'Damn, I hoped it wouldn't be you. Thought you'd be clever enough to notice my trap,' a low voice growled. She rolled over onto her back to see Diesel Cain looking down at her. 'Where's Fish-boy and Blondie?'

'Skye's dead. Niall's gone,' Jessalyn struggled to say the words. She had seen the body, in its horrific state, but saying the word dead just had a finality to it. He was never coming back, she'd never see his smile or his beautiful face, marred by those jellyfish scars that she had come to love. She had to blink back tears at the thought of him.

'Sorry, I didn't know, I was a bit preoccupied last night,' he still had the rapier, an inch above her neck.

'Look, just kill me alright? Don't string it out.' She might see Skye again, and the parents that she had never known. But Diesel was frowning at her, the blade wavering in his hand. Finally he stepped back and lowered the rapier.

'Get out of here. Now! Before I change my mind,' Jessalyn stared at him, confused. 'Look, you're the one I want to win more than anyone else in the Arena, apart from me, of course. Hopefully a Career or something will kill you first. Because I can't bring myself to. So get out of here!' Jessalyn didn't need any more encouragement, she scrambled to her feet and ran down a side alley.

O

A twig snapped beneath Niall's boot. He jumped slightly, before shaking himself, feeling embarrassed. If anything, the wood was the safest place. The only tribute that would venture inside was Jessalyn, and he didn't think she would kill him.

But he couldn't help feeling apprehensive. He had never gone this deep into the forest before. When he'd been with Skye and Jess they'd only gone along the edge, and had quickly killed some birds. But the Gamemakers seemed to have drawn all the animals into the middle of the forest, or made them disappear or killed them, for the only animals he had seen had been scrawny and far out of range.

He tried to ignore how dark the leaves above had made the forest, or how close together the trees were, positioned as if they were leaning over him, readying themselves to strike. He shook himself and hurried on.

Another twig snapped beneath his boot and he froze. An eerie feeling had settled over him, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. He slowly looked around, his senses on full alert. A pair of huge yellow eyes were glaring at him out of the shadows. A deafening roar ripped through the forest, making the leaves on the trees around him ripple.

Niall needed no more encouragement. He turned and tore through the forest, running like a madmen. To his horror he realised that the eyes had been behind him, and whatever beast they were attached to was chasing him further into the forest.

But it seemed to be able to move at the speed of light, or at least teleport, for suddenly the pair of eyes was right in front of him. He skidded to a halt and turned right, sprinting off again. Now he could hear the heavy footfalls of the beast shaking the ground.

His foot hit a hole and a sharp bolt of pain passed up his leg. He fell to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. As he tried to get to his feet his ankle gave out and he collapsed on the ground, futilely trying to drag himself along. The footsteps had slowed, but seemed to carry more weight, and it felt like there was more than one beast.

A massive paw hit his back, clamping him down on the ground. Through a face full of dirt he saw the bushes and trees around him shake, as four more beasts appeared. Massive, with the faces of mad, rapid dogs, bodies of colossal bears and the giant paws of cats. The biggest let out a roar of triumph, slamming its front paws down either side of Niall's head.

The weight left his back and he rolled over, looking up at the beast. A long string of saliva broke off and hit his cheek, he struggled not to wipe it off and aggravate the beast. His hand slowly moved towards a sword, but before he could so much as touch it, the beast growled, bent its head, and sunk its razor sharp fangs into his neck, ripping out his jugular.

O

The bruise on Sparkle's side was larger than her hand, spanning from the bottom of her rips to her hip, a mass of purple and yellow. She prodded it and winced, before dropping her ragged top back over it. Jayson was leaning against his pillar, a smug grin on his face as he watched her try not to cry.

'Weak little girl,' he jeered as she stood up. She scowled at him, and turned towards the edge of the hill. 'You won't survive two minutes on your own.'

'Let's try it,' she hissed. 'I don't want to spend two more minutes with you anyway. I'd rather try my luck on my own than sit here getting beaten up and starving. Goodbye!' a hand grabbed her ponytail and wrenched her head back. She froze as she felt the cold, hard blade of a knife pressed against her throat.

'What did I say,' said Cleo, her voice quiet and deadly. 'About the group splitting?' she pressed the knife harder, drawing blood. 'What did I SAY?'

'We split when you say so,' said Sparkle, struggling to get the words out. Cleo gave her hair one last, cruel pull, and shoved her away.

'Take care to remember that. Next time I won't be so gentle,' she said, her voice now as sweet as honey.

'I don't see who made you leader!' shouted Sparkle. Cleo shrugged.

'I did.'

O

The four Capitol citizens were sat around the television built into the wall. They were four of the richest individuals in the Capitol. Demetrius, whose flat it was, smoothed back his oiled, midnight blue hair, and turned to the portly man next to him. 'A hundred says the District Two girl wins, Publius.' Publius's curled hair was bright gold, as were his eyes and his suit. Publius was known throughout the Capitol as a man who liked gold and girls, preferably together.

'Two hundred,' he replied, looking at the screen, a strange smile on his face. 'I have my eye on the blonde girl.' Demetrius let out a harsh, mirthless laugh.

'I always thought you were a fool, Publius.' He turned to the women on his left. 'And what about you, Spuria, Felina? Do you wish to bet?' he made the question sound like they couldn't refuse. Felina, who sat on the far left, was probably the most outlandish of the four. Her hair was black, short and smooth. Her ears had been surgically tapered to points, and sharp fangs protruded out over her lower lip. She looked around at him, a calculating look in her cat eyes.

'I'll match the two hundred, but on the Cain boy. He has a survivor air to him. And he's the cuter boy left,' giggled Spurnia. She was the youngest and silliest, with bright silver hair dyed pink at the tips, and bright pink and silver eyes. 'Come on Felina, you've got to make a bet!' she cried.

'Five hundred, on the girl from Four,' she said. Spurnia gasped, but Demetrius just let out another mirthless laugh.

'Very well, Felina, very well. But you should know, I'm friends with dear Caecelius Hawk, and he's told me that there are some surprises in store over the next few days.'

Another chapter! And it's down to the final five :O who's gonna win?! I'm afraid that over the next few days I'm not really going to have any laptop time, as my dad's off using it at work, so I won't really be able to update until next weekend (sorry, don't kill me!)

List of the Dead

Hareld Wyre

Jenna Monroe

Nathaniel Merezald

Pau Furnely

Ginevra Helena di Cosimo

Patrick Volta

Trix Lexon

Amore Gemini

Odio Gemini

Tabytha laDawn Carmahel

Dawn Shentell

Sephiria Raven

Scott Fosters

Violet Queens

Ember Gildern

Kai Septor

Lottie Blacilla

Skye Coral

Niall Hoult

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